


I Don't Need a Father Figure, Thanks

by MartianMarsipan



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Adoption, Angst, Anyways, Bonding, Child Abadonment, Child Neglect, Dadvid AU, Father-Son Relationship, i might MIGHT throw in some ships here and there but it wont be max and david let me tell you, mentions of child abuse, ok this should be clear but just in case this ISNT a ship fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-15 20:45:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8072146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MartianMarsipan/pseuds/MartianMarsipan
Summary: Four times Max called David "dad" on accident and the one time he actually meant it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm taking this little idea from  
> http://yes-asil.tumblr.com/post/147551895132/so-a-friend-talked-with-me-about-a-music-camp-he  
> because it's adorable, go reblog the comic on tumblr if you can because it's GOOD

The first time was an accident. A total slip of the tongue, and David knew that but the incident remained fresh in his mind even hours after.

Max was never too keen on camp activities, if he wasn’t just watching the other campers and hardly participating, he just wasn’t there. He’d been absent many times before but it had always slipped past David’s all-seeing eye, until today, when the usually ever-present Neil and Nikki had gone missing as well. 

Concerned for the safety of the campers and the camp itself, David left Gwen in charge (not that it mattered, the “camp activity” was on the brink of anarchy anyway) and began his search.

After quite a bit of looking in and around various buildings, David came to find both Nikki and Neil, crouching in front of the door to an old, run down cabin far from the main campgrounds. But surprisingly, no Max.

“There you two are! What are you doing all the way out here? I know that Camp Campbell has exciting history but that’s no reason to miss out on all the fun of camp activities!” The two kids whipped around, frantically pushing their pointer fingers to their lips in an attempt to quiet the noisy counselor. Of course, the actions went right over David’s head, and he was about to barge into the old cabin when the faint violin hit his ears.

“What is-” David was quickly cut off when Nikki yanked him down to a crouching position and shoved her hand over his mouth.  
Wordlessly, she pointed to the source of the music, standing alone in the old cabin was a figure with a curly mop of black hair and a blue hoodie. 

“ _Max_?!” Despite Nikki’s best efforts, the damage had already been done and the red head’s loud exclamation caused the music to come to a screeching halt, and a horrified Max to turn around abruptly. However, the shock on his face quickly wore off and turned to anger in a matter of seconds.

“What are you doing here! Shouldn’t you be off playing shittiest-camp-counselor somewhere else!” Even though he knew that there were no other self-conscious kids sneaking off to abandoned cabins to play the violin, Max tried to poorly hide the violin behind his back anyway.

“Was that you playing?” David asked in awe, he didn’t think Max liked anything, aside from trying to break out of camp. Max rolled his eyes.

“Do you see any _other_ violinists in here, David? This isn’t exactly Symphony Hall.” The three onlookers rushed in, despite the nasty glare Max was giving them.

“That was _ah-may-zing_! How come you didn’t tell us you could play!” Nikki exclaimed excitedly, running behind Max to get a good look at the instrument he was trying to conceal.

“Nobody cares about shitty violin playing, it’s not helpful to anyone except the morons who throw change at bums on the street because they want to pat themselves on the back for giving starving musicians more money to buy drugs.” He replied harshly, intently studying the dust and rubble on the ground.

“Shitty? Are you kidding? It was incredible!” Neil chimed in excitedly, wide green eyes snapped up to meet Neil’s awe-struck face. Max quickly averted his gaze, landing on David’s indescribable expression in the process.

“ _Max_! Do you know what this means?” The counselor’s voice was cracking from sheer excitement. Max quickly snapped out of his shocked state and shook his head wildly.

“No, no, _no_! I am _not_ going to do any stupid concerts, I am _not_ going to get a whole camp day for my music,” His tone suddenly drops as he continues menacingly, “and _nobody_ is going to know about this, do you hear me? You thought it was bad before, _Davey_ , but all those little stunts I’ve pulled? They’re just _games_. If you squeal a word about this to _anyone_ I swear-!”

David throws up his hands in defense, “Well, if you don’t want to that’s just fine! But why _don’t_ you want to share your talent? Come to think of it, you’re not even enrolled in music camp, are you?” Max looks back at the ground, kicking around some dirt clumps, “why didn’t your parents-”

Max whips his head back up again, “because they don’t fucking care and they think I play like someone’s taking a big, sloppy, wet shit all over the instrument!” Silence falls over the group, and Max looks back at the ground again, frustrated at his own outburst. He continues slightly calmer, “because they just wanted me gone for the summer and didn’t care to look at the camp brochures or whatever.”

David’s face falls dramatically, there’s a sinking feeling that Max isn’t exaggerating about his parents, maybe he never was. David shakes that off to think on for another time and kneels down to Max’s eye level. He won’t look up.

“Well, if it means anything, we all thought you were just… wonderful, Max! Maybe it doesn’t mean a lot but if the other campers could hear you, I’m sure-” Max glances up angrily, “which they won’t! But tell you what, We’ll get you set up in music camp and nobody has to know! You can go off to wherever you want and play, as long as I know that’s what you’re actually doing and not… y’know; wreaking havoc, destroying property, trying to break out of the camp, being a general danger to- well, you get the idea!” Max is silent and still won’t meet anyone’s gaze, “what do you say?”

After what feels like hours of silence, Max finally nods slightly, eyes still cast to the ground. David beams and Nikki cheers, hoisting the violin in Max’s grasp up above his head.

“Alright! I just knew there was something for you! But let's head back now.” David grimaces in worry, only god knows what he would come back to. He pats Max on the shoulder and starts to get up, Neil and Nikki are already out the door when Max stops him. David glances back down at Max, still not looking up at him.

Finally, Max breathes in deeply, “thanks, Dad-” David’s breath hitches and Max’s face flushes. He looks back up at the tall counselor and all around the room, stammering in embarrassment, “I mean _David_! Thanks, _David_ -”

David only smiles and ruffles Max’s hair, who’s too stunned to wave David’s hands away. “No problem, Max!” 

He won’t mention it again, but David is practically glowing the rest of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back (back back back).. back again?
> 
> Hey this is a really shitty second chapter but since season 2 premiered I was inspired again.

The second time leaves a bitter taste in Max’s mouth every time he thinks about it. Max is kicking gravel half-heartedly outside of the mess hall, his aching leg forced to work harder and harder to create white noise from what was rapidly becoming a hole in the ground. He had been at it for an hour just to block out the noisy laughter and aggravating chatter coming from the mess hall. It was just Max’s luck that the camp from hell didn’t even offer a break from parents, or any mention thereof. No, no, Max’s daily torment just wasn’t enough, thought David, there must be parent-camper nights, too! 

Max’s parents themselves didn’t concern him because he knew they won’t show up anyway. Max takes a moment to pat himself on the back; that realization doesn’t sting as much as it used to. Years of practice in detaching himself truly paid off. But try as he might, he couldn’t stand the thought that there were kids who didn’t despise their parents and even went as far as to like them. _Love_ them, if Max really wanted a stomach turning thought. It was bizarre really, parents that didn’t neglect their kids year-round then dump them at camp every year for three months? 

Max scoffs, there was just no way. 

Green eyes peer around the door frame to watch the scene inside: kids laughing, parents mingling, Gwen lying through her teeth to parents about how wonderful their kids were, and David running around like a camp counselor with his head cut off. 

_As if David’s head has ever worked in the first place_ , Max snarks to himself. Stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets, he takes off towards the lake. Max was many things, but a masochist was not one of them, and there was no point lurking around something that only served to upset him. 

As the noise dies down one problem is replaced with another. Max can’t stop caring about something if he doesn’t know what he shouldn’t care about. His parents were one thing, he knew damn well what was wrong with them. The idea of parents was another, somebody else’s parents shouldn’t upset him as much as they do. Especially if they’re not away on trips for months on end, coming home without proper food but plenty of candy to satiate a child’s ache from loneliness only to leave again. No, and especially not if their goodbyes aren’t either half hearted pats on the head or a slap in the face from the smart mouth acquired from bitterness and a lack of affection. 

It was clear to see the parents in the mess hall were not and did not do any of those things. Yet they still invoked an anger and fear in Max he despised. He guesses that’s one thing he can thank his parents for, it’s the only thing they ever genuinely gave him.

Max situates himself on a tree stump, watching the moon hit the dirty lake water and hopes the night is over soon so he can get back to his regularly scheduled, parent-free torture. 

\--

“Thank you so, so much for coming! Thank you, and thank you-” Is all that’s pouring from the eccentric red-head’s mouth as he waves off his camper’s parents, it filled his heart with pure, unbridled joy to see so many shining faces from the love between parents and children! Sure, he organized the whole thing, but a parent-camper night is only as good as the parents and campers participating, and lucky for him they were truly the best batch of parents and campers probably in the world!

The last of the parents are out the door, giving their last good-bye hugs to their kids. David takes roll as each of the campers walk back through the mess hall entrance: Neil, Space kid, Harrison, Nurf, Ered, Preston… All of those familiar faces go by, but there’s no Max. David pauses for a moment and frowns. Were his parents even there at all? 

“Oh, Gwen!” He calls, and his grumpy counterpart is startled awake, still clutching her bottle of aspirin. 

“Wh- Is it over?” She grumbles, “thank _God_ , I thought they’d never leave, ten kids enough but their parents too-?”

Ignoring her complaints, David continues, “well I’m afraid it’s only nine kids right now, Gwen! Have you seen Max anywhere?”

Her headache suddenly gone, she shoots up from the table, “David- we didn’t- we can’t _lose_ a kid,” Gwen rubs her temples frantically, “oh, fuck- did he get in somebody’s car? I can’t handle a lawsuit, David-!”

“Whoa, whoa, Gwen! Sure he’s had some… bouts of creativity to pursue his independence before but what kid hasn’t! If he got in anybody’s car, it would be his parent’s, so if he doesn’t turn up-”

“Um, David-” Neil cuts in timidly, “Max’s parents didn’t come.” 

There’s a tense silence that follows, no camper nor counselor says a word. David looks down at Neil and cocks and eyebrow, straining to fight down the worry that was slowly bubbling up.

“No, no, that can’t be true I must have seen them I met everyone’s parents-”

“Except Max’s! I saw him out back earlier, he looked really grumpy; probably because his parents didn’t show up!” Nikki pipes in a little too excitedly. David breathes a sigh of relief, Max still had to be on camp grounds, there’s no way he snuck out front without David seeing. 

The relief is short lived as David realizes he missed a blatant cry for help, and now Max was alone who knows where. Without another word, David takes off, praying if Max has done something drastic he isn’t too late.

\--

“Max! Max, are you out here!” The boy in question groans at the familiar, too-happy voice slowly getting louder. He doesn’t turn around when the sound of running footsteps comes to a stop behind him.

“Max,” David wheezes, “what...are you doing out here? You had me worried sick! I ran all around the camp grounds looking for you-”

“Well that was a waste of your time, wasn’t it?” Max growls. 

“Making sure my campers are safe and happy is not a waste of my time, we thought you hitched a ride with one of the parents-” Max tenses, he would kill to get out of Camp Camp-hell but not like that. Never like that.

“Wow, and here I was, thinking you were much too busy to pay any mind to an asshole like me- oh wait, you were, it took you… three hours to notice, David.” 

David deflates, “now, come on, Max you know that isn’t-”

“No need to explain, why waste your breath on me when you can deal with easy campers with easy parents and forget I ruin your life for a little bit.” David almost wants to cry.

“Max you don’t-”

“I bet you thought you met my parents, too! Wondered how such likable people could create such a worthless piece of shit, huh! No wonder they dump that little fuck off at summer camp they probably want a break from him too-”

“Max that is _enough!_ ” Max whips around, green eyes widening slightly in shock, “you won’t talk about yourself that way _again_! Or about _me_ , I can’t do everything Max and, well, I’m very... displeased with you right now!” David takes a step forward and Max’s arm shoots up to block his face. The counselor freezes on the spot, worry overtaking his face where anger once was. 

Max carefully opens one eye and immediately throws his arm down, ashamed. 

_Fucking god damn it, it’s_ David _of course he’s not going to hit you, dumbass._ Max turns around again, this night just couldn’t get any worse. 

“Max…” Max winces at the gentle tone in David’s voice, wishing he would just be angry again, “you know those things aren’t true, right? Why would you say anything like that?”

No answer. 

David sighs, just try again, “I care about you very much, you know, if I had noticed-”

“Why.” 

“...Why what?” 

Max turns around slowly, green eyes cast to the ground, “why even waste your time, David. It’s not enough to be overwhelmingly happy all the time, you have to be the noble camp counselor and chase after some troubled camper, too? A camper that does nothing but attempt to ruin your life as you know it and fuck you up down to your stupid, happy core? God, what kind of shitty, schmaltzy Hallmark movie are we in?”

Max doesn’t see David’s face scrunch up in concern, but he can sure feel his eyes boring into his very being.

“I’m not wasting my time, Max,” David crouches down to what would be Max’s eye level if he wasn’t fixated on literally anything but David, “maybe you think I care about you too much, but to me it’s not enough. Not enough to get through to you that I’m here for you, Max, all of you guys are my priority when you’re on camp grounds and even when you’re gone I’ll still be thinking about your wellbeing.”

Max blows some air out of his nose as a half-hearted laugh, “way to make it weird, David. That goes beyond camp counselor and borders on stalker.”

David’s face lights up at the sly insult, “well, then call me a stalker and report me to the police, Max! I’ll always be watching out for my favorite camper,” his face drops back down to solemn concern again, “but, Max, if there is something wrong at your home we should have a talk. Not right now, but before camp is over. I’ll try everything I can to help you.”

Max falters, it’s a lot to take in at once. He bites at his lip and gives a slight nod, and thankfully that’s enough for David.

“Alright then, the other campers are probably very worried, let’s get on back! We need to get rest for all the camp activities tomorrow!” Max groans and hops off his stump. 

“Alright, dad-” his sarcastic reply falls short as he slaps his hands to his forehead, “ _David! Fuck!_ ”

Only sounds of sheer happiness and amusement are coming from the counselor, “Max- you-!”

“If you so much as even _think_ about this again I will personally see to it you never have another shitty camp activity in your fucking life!” 

David nods, straining to keep his grin down, “think about what?”

Sharp green eyes only glare back up at the counselor, “Just, fuck off, David,” Max huffs, quickly walking past the man practically vibrating behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just start this by saying i had been working on this since the last time I posted a chapter, so some of the parents may be incorrect here ha. Friday's episode killed me so much that I decided to tack an ending on this one and put it up cause you guys have waited long enough ;) I'll work on getting the last two chapters up ASAP, because I have had them planned for quite a while. This was before a good amount of the season 2 episodes, so some characters may be off only because I went on pure headcanons at the time. Anyways enjoy!

There’s not a single thing even objectively bad about Camp Camp, David tells himself. 

There’s not a single thing even objectively bad about Camp Camp, David tells himself again.

And so on until the mantra becomes white noise in David’s head as he prepares the campers for their final day, the official ending marked by the proud parents of his beloved campers coming to take their kids back home. Not even this could deter David’s love for his camp, but gosh darn it if it didn’t tug at his heartstrings. 

Ever since his parents had dropped him off at Camp Camp for the first time he never wanted to leave, and even after the hundredth time he still wouldn’t! Even from a young age David decided he would die here, he only wished he was born here, too. Well, you can’t have it all!

It was only more special now that he was in charge of igniting a love for Camp in children, making their Summers special and memorable filled him with a feeling like no other. Dare he say it was better than being a camper himself! He just never understood how his old counselors didn’t love it enough to come back the next year.

Or the campers from his camping days, either...

David winces, best not to touch on that last one. 

Regardless, he had to be strong. They’ll be back next year, everyone came back!

Well, except for his counselors and his peers, and his campers before this year’s, and the campers before that...

A rare frown crosses the red head’s face. He quickly shakes it off, he got over it before and he can do it again! Besides, if they never left he wouldn’t have met the campers he has now, and the only things better than familiar faces are _new_ faces!

...Unless you really liked those familiar faces, David supposes, and he does. He lets out a sigh and picks up the final schedule for Camp Campbell activities.

It was going to be a long day, but for David, just not long enough.

\-----------------

Judgement day.

Max knew it was coming, even if he would hardly call it a judgement day, the only judgement to be made was just how shitty his parents were. Really, it was a new low. Max could take the week long business trips and the lack of acknowledgement for birthdays and holidays, but abandoning him at summer camp? At least Juvie had indoor plumbing. 

He wouldn’t have made... _acquaintances_ , at juvie, either. Max has been lacking in the social life department once his parents turned him into a bitter, cynical little ten year old. As it would turn out, children and teachers really didn’t like that disposition on a child. So what do you do with kids like that?

The same thing his parents did. Minus the fists and backhands, not after little Georgie.

Max had to admit Camp Camp was different. It was a hotspot for fucked up kids which left no one to keep out of social circles. 

God, what a pitiful way to make friends, Max thinks. Either way, any resemblance of a social life is getting ripped away from him today and maybe that’s for the best. He shouldn’t have gotten attached in the first place. Not that he was attached at all actually, he didn’t care. Not him, nope.

“Max!” Comes an exasperated shout, “Nikki won’t come down from the hidey tree, can you _please_ help me out for once?”

Max strolls out of the cabin, eyeing the situation unenthusiastically, “geez Neil, you’d know I’d rather be counting down the minutes to Camp Camp’s D-day, but I guess as a final gesture of friendship, I’ll help.” Neil rolls his eyes as Max scans the ground for a good rock, Nikki is immune to anything smaller than a tennis ball.

“How generous of you,” the rock isn’t really as big as Max would like but it’ll have to do, “and how absolutely heartwarming to know that three months of rocky, hah, friendship- wait a minute did you-” Max chucks the rock, followed immediately by a shout and a loud _thud_. Max was getting pretty good at this, he didn’t even aim for the vitals this time.

“-friends?” is all Max hears from Neil by the time he tunes back in. 

“What? Friends what?” Nikki jumps in.

“Friends _Max_ , Max do you think we’re friends?” Both Neil and Nikki turn to him and he tenses up. What an awful thing to accuse them of, of course they wouldn’t want to be friends with him and he didn’t even _want_ friends. 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about Neil-”

Nikki slings an arm around him, “there’s nothing to be embarrassed about Max, you’re not too cool for friends, you’re not cool at all-”

“Thanks, Nikki.” Max deadpans.

“Yeah, Max, it’s just you’re not very… _friendly_ , we couldn’t really tell.” Neil shrugs sheepishly. Green eyes switch between them in disbelief, _friends_? Max?

“You, you two, you want to be… you think we’re…?” Max doesn’t want to say it and each pair of eyebrows furrow together.

“Of course we do, we love you and your grumpy face!” Max is too dazed to swat away Nikki’s hand squishing his face together. 

“Do _you_ want to be friends, Max?” Max glances over to a very timid and awkwardly shifting Neil. The shorter boy opens his mouth, then purses his lips together and nods rigidly. He can hear Neil’s, his _friend’s_ , sigh of relief, “come on then, we have to force Nikki to pack up-” 

Max doesn’t even hear the shout from Neil as Nikki sprints up her tree again, doesn’t feel Neil shaking his arm to throw another rock. 

This was going to be a long day, too long for Max’s liking.

\------------

“Okay, campers, as you all know it’s the… last day of...” David gulps, “camp, and I know this is a sad day but we don’t want our last memories of Camp Campbell to be sad, do we,” the counselor is met with silence from the group of campers, “exactly! So let’s just jump right to it!”

It took some working, but David had managed to divide a segment of the day for everybody’s camp. Well, not music camp, as much as he would have liked to. Max would have sounded beautiful from the Theatre camp stage, it would have been the perfect good-bye to Camp Campbell. 

There’s that word again, _good-bye_. It wasn’t good-bye it was just see-ya-later, right? He’ll be back and the campers will be back and-

“David!” 

“Yes, Gwen?” David didn’t even notice his smile had fallen. Gwen squints at him as he brightens his face up all too quickly.

She sighs, “I know this is hard for you David, no! No,” Gwen interjects as David opens his mouth, “let me finish. I know this won’t be easy, but it’s just until next Summer, David, it’s not the end of the world.” Gwen almost groans at David’s obnoxiously too-loud and too-fake laughter.

“Who said it was hard in the first place, Gwen? Just the end of Summer, happens every year, I mean it can’t go on forever even though that’d be the best thing ever because nobody would have to leave and never come back and-and...” David trails off. 

“There it is,” the counselor pinches the bridge of her nose, “they’ll probably be back next year, David. If they aren’t there’ll be new campers, it’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?” David repeats, incredulously, “I came back _every year_ Gwen, if they don’t want to then I’m doing something wrong, aren’t I? They should want to come back-”

“Ok, slow your roll, David. I’m going to be brutally honest with you,” Gwen places her hands on David’s shoulders, “this camp? It sucks. If they don’t want to come back that’s on Campbell, you did...Way more than you had to. Way way way waaay more than you had to.”

 

“Thanks, Gwen.” 

“I mean, way way _waaaaay_ more-”

“Okay! Okay, thank you, Gwen.” The redhead musters a small smile at his grumpy counterpart. 

“And hey, even if nobody else comes back,” Gwen rubs at her arm, “you’ll have at least one friend to come back to-oof!” lanky arms are thrown around Gwen in a life-squeezing hug, the awkward patting at David’s back quickly becomes frantic pounding in her fight for oxygen. In an instant David is running back to the campers, an out of breath Gwen in tow.

“Alright, campers! Who’s ready for some spectacularly stunning science from our very own _science camp_!” 

\-----

To end Camp Campbell with anything but a bonfire would be nothing short of a crime, they’ve all seen movies. But instead of sharing stories and laughing it up one last time nobody could find the right words to say, the silence over them so heavy that they swore to themselves that the rumbling of suburban vehicle tires against dirt and asphalt could be heard among the crackling firewood. 

David quickly tries to liven the air by strumming his guitar, earning a few shy mumbles to pair with his booming voice as he belted out every campfire song from the beginning of time. It doesn’t take long for Max to pull Neil and Nikki aside, away from the noise. He doesn’t say anything as they babble on about plans for school, what they’re going to do when they get home. 

“Are you coming back?” Max cuts in suddenly. Max is surprised the resounding “ _what_?” from his two loud friends doesn’t turn any heads towards them.

“ _You’re_ asking _us_ if we’re coming back to _Camp Campbell_?” Neil laughs and the shorter boy scowls at him.

 

“You’ve been trying to make a break for it since _day one_!” The green (teal? Max doesn’t care) Haired girl shouts.

“I’m just _curious_ , jeez! Can’t I just fucking ask a simple, genuine question without getting interrogated?” Max huffs. His two friends share a confused glance.

“I mean… Sure, Max, but it’s not like you’re coming back, anyway, right?” Neil shrugs. Green eyes are cast to the ground as his brows furrow and a frown creases his face.

“I don’t think foster homes really send away their kids for Summer camp. They don’t want those orphans knowing there are log cabins with better beds than the bug infested mattresses they force them to sleep on.” 

A car pulls up before either of his friends could question him further, the driver blares the horn and every camper whips around. Ten o’clock on the dot, Nikki knows it’s her mother waiting for her. David and Gwen seem to know this, too, because they’re already up to forcefully escort her to the car before she can make her break for it. 

Before the solid twenty minutes of screaming and fighting that ensue, she pounces her two friends and promises to be back next Summer, as if there was any question about it. It’s with the first loss of a camper that the realization dawns on everyone, especially David, that this was indeed happening.

Only idle strumming fills the air for the longest time.

Neil doesn’t leave too long after Nikki, he doesn’t hug Max but offers him a pat on his unruly black curls and gives him a good maybe that he’ll be back next Summer, if Max was really curious. He was, it just makes the knowledge that Max certainly won’t be back next Summer a little harder.

Max joins the bonfire after Neil is gone, he doesn’t say goodbye to anybody else, really. At least not those who don’t initiate it first.

At eleven o’clock Nerris and Harrison put aside their grudges to give everyone a goodbye hug, including each other. 

Eleven thirty: Space Kid follows suit, but without the grudge aspect, of course. 

Midnight: Preston makes his leave as dramatic as possible, go figure, which includes fainting into David’s arms and at _least_ two minute monologues about each of the remaining campers.

Twelve Twenty: Nerf gives goodbye punches, which somehow brings Max more comfort than the hugs. Dolph and Ered leave without a word, just a wave and a chaste “bye”. 

So it’s down to just Max, David, Gwen, and a dying bonfire. Nothing is said until one, Gwen decides she’s going to head home for the night. She gives Max a light, playful punch on the arm.

“S’been great, kiddo. You were a real pain in the ass all Summer but I wouldn’t have had it any other way, wouldn’t have been the same terrible camp without you,” Max lets out an amused snort, “see ya next year, I hope.” Max hopes so, too, but for completely different reasons.

It’s two now, David has a thousands things he wants to say to Max but he won’t. If he does he won’t last until his parents show up, so he sits there quietly picking at bark on the log. An hour later they have to move to the mess hall because the fire’s too dim and it’s too dark out now. Another hour later and David finally speaks up.

“Max, should I call your-”

“Don’t fucking bother.” The redhead falters.

“You have to go home, sometime, you know,” David tentatively places a hand on Max’s shoulder, “it makes me so so so so so happy you want to stay at Camp Campbell a little longer but it’ll still be here next year-”

“Even if I wanted to come back to this shit show, David, and I do not,” green eyes lock into another pair of green in a half-hearted glare, “I can’t.”

The counselor visibly winces, “is this about your...home life?”

“Nope. In fact, it’s quite the fucking opposite because I don’t have a home life, anymore.” When David says nothing Max heaves out a frustrated sigh and continues, “they’re not coming, David. Nobody is.” 

“But it says on the brochure and the emails and the letters and the messages that I left that today is the last day, there’s no way they could forget their own, wonderful son!” Max misses David’s nervous lip bite that follows that.

“Oh my good god, do you really not fucking get it? They didn’t forget me, they’re abandoning me. Probably already out of the country already.” David shook his head quickly.

“No, no no no, come on now that’s much too drastic. I’ll be right back, I’m going to make some calls and get this sorted out, _please_ don’t go anywhere this time!”

“Not like I have anywhere else to go.” the ten year old muttered. Max’s black curls bounced as he shoved he head into his hands, too many things overcoming him at once. He hardly handled one emotion at a time he must be feeling at least three right now. Three too fucking many. 

So he sits, gripping his hair or raking his nails across the wood grain of the table in a pitiful attempt to burn off some of the hopelessness he’s feeling. For one of the few times in his Camp Campbell life, he wishes David would come back soon.

\--------------------------

David would not come back soon enough, he’s frantically pulling out papers and punching in phone numbers for so long he won’t realize it’s been an hour since he left Max sitting in the mess hall. 

He’s down to two final phone numbers, not ones on Max’s paperwork because there is hardly any and the few that exist have no way of contacting his rogue parents. David hadn’t thought much of it when the emails weren’t answered or when his calls weren’t returned; he wholeheartedly believed Max when he said his parents weren’t around or ‘didn’t care but he chalked that idea up to a lonely child’s exaggerated view of the world and not the cold, hard truth. 

Max’s parents truly did not care about their son. 

Each time David repeated this mantra his heart broke a little more, so he distracted himself to pray to every deity and every force in the universe that his hail mary would be successful.

He dials the first, and it rings, and rings, and David is sweating bullets as it stops, breath caught-

“We’re sorry, the number you are trying to reach is-” David slams the icon to hang up. He rubs his temples and grimly begins to dial the second.

And so it rings again, and again, and it stops on the third ring. David immediately shoots up. A woman’s voice cuts through the silence.

“Hello?”

“He-Hi-Ho- _Hello_ ,” David forces out, “This is David from Camp Campbell, today is the last day of camp and it seems you or someone you know has forgotten their son, Max, and-”

“Sorry? I think you have the wrong number.” The counselor balks.

“No, no please that can’t be right isn’t there anybody-”

“Sorry again pal, good luck-” She hangs up and David leaves the phone up to his ear for a moment, not even registering the beeps on the other line. 

He has nothing else. Max has nothing else. Nothing but David for tonight.

The redhead is on autopilot from the shock, he’s at the mess hall before he even knows he left his cabin. Max’s sleeping form, slumped over the table, is what snaps him back to reality.   
David can call Gwen tomorrow and figure it all out then because she’s there for Max, too. But that’s tomorrow; tonight there’s nobody and nothing for Max but David and he’s going to make sure Max gets every last drop of his attention and care while it’s still it’s responsibility to do so.

...But then whose responsibility will it be after David’s? 

No, just think of Max. Just tonight. 

David walks over to Max ever so quietly, hoping he’ll sleep for as long as he can because it’s one of the many things he needs right now. Gently he lifts him up, one hand around Max’s small frame and the other carefully on his black curls, holding onto the camper tightly enough to keep him as close to David as possible.

He’s not sure if he managed to turn off the mess hall lights and lock the doors, and then walk all the way to his cabin and repeat the process, and finally get Max into the back of his car and buckle him in without waking him or if Max had only pretended to be asleep. It didn’t matter, David would never ask.

They’re already a ways away from Camp when out of the corner of his green eyes, David notices Max beginning to stir. 

“I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say you’re not my parents,” Max mumbles, barely coherent through the tired drooping in his voice. 

“...I’m sorry.” Max shrugs lazily. 

“Where are you taking me, orphanage?” 

“No,” David quickly tacks on, “not tonight, at least. You’re going to stay with me until we can figure out what we can do.” He thinks he hears Max mumble a noise of acknowledgement.

It’s quiet for a bit until Max speaks up one last time, so uncharacteristically soft and laced with affection if David hadn’t heard it from the camper himself he would have never believed it had happened. 

“Hmmkay, g’night, dad.”

David’s heart shatters.


End file.
